Containers and Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) are frequently used to ship, store, dispense, and handle liquids and other free flowing materials such as powders, pellets, etc. IBC's are also sometimes referred to as “totes”. IBC's typically hold more than a 55-gallon drum but less than bulk (500-gallon) containers. The most popular sizes are 275 gallon (equal to five 55-gallon drums) and 330 gallon (equal to six 55-gallon drums). Some IBC's are of a “bag-in-a-box” construction wherein a primary container in the form of a flexible collapsible inner bag actually contains the material and a rigid box-like structure that forms a secondary container houses the flexible bag.
Containerized fluids experience severe handling forces such as vibrations, incline-impact, and dropping during shipment. In the “bag-in-a-box” type of shipping containers, the outer walls of the enclosed bag are subjected to continuous and abrasive movement of the bag against the walls of the rigid container. Such abrasion can result in bag breakage and leakage and resultant loss of contents and contamination of the surrounding area.
Some prior art “bag-in-a-box” bulk shipping containers leave the filling bung exposed and are thus subject to tampering.
Another problem with non-cubical bulk shipping containers is that they do not fit efficiently in a large freight container which results in wasted space.
When transporting palletized containers of the type described above from the manufacturer to the filling station, from the filling station to the customer, from the customer to the reconditioner and so on, the large-volume containers are loaded many times from the truck or a large container to conveyors and are being picked up and set down by fork lifts. The pallet configurations of most conventional palletized containers allow entry of the forks of the fork lift from only two of the four sides. Thus, access for lifting and handling is significantly limited and there is a likelihood of damage, spillage or leakage due to accidentally dropping a filled container.
Kennedy et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,830 discloses a cardboard box having a liquid-tight plastic liner.
Murphy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,471 discloses a container having a flexible liner surrounded by a polygonal fiberboard tube having open ends and secured therein by adhesive which is received in an outer fiberboard container.
Wait, U.S. Pat. Re 28,846 discloses a collapsible pallet box having four sidewalls each in lapped relationship with the ends of the adjacent sidewalls when the box is erected. The sidewalls have aligned horizontal cleats, and the cleats have aligned channels carrying an endless strap running around the periphery of the box. The strap is slidable in the channel, and the cleats, are designed so that the strap is tight both when the box is erected and when it is collapsed.
Schultz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,609 discloses a method for forming a pallet-mounted container for liquids comprising a synthetic resin container in a metal shell that supports the container. The metal shell is a sheet metal jacket with a welded-on lid and bottom and is attached to a supporting wooden pallet.
Croley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,253 discloses a disposable bulk shipping container assembly for containing, shipping and dispensing liquids or semi-liquids. The container comprises a knocked-down fiberboard container body and end structure which can be set up on a pallet into a substantially rigid multi-sided polygonal drum-like container for receiving a flexible plastic bag that is to be filled with the substance to be dispensed. The bag is provided with a dispensing spout that is locked in dispensing position in one side of the fiberboard container to hold the bag in position in the container during filling, with its outer end exposed and which has a diaphragm type seal at its inner end. Croley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,692 discloses a similar disposable bulk shipping container assembly having a spacer and baffle between the upper end of the closed filled bag and the upper end structure to prevent upward surging with resulting distortion.
Riley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,075 discloses a bag-in-box type of container comprising a box enclosing a flexible bag filled with a pressurized liquid, such as a carbonated beverage, wherein the bag is located either inside a tube of rigid or inelastic material or inside a closed sleeve of elastic material. With the tube, transverse platforms with flanges directed towards respective ends of the box are arranged at each end of the tube to transmit pressure from the tube to the box. With a sleeve such platforms are not required, but a slotted platform is usually provided for location of the tap which projects from the bag.
Remaks, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,850 discloses an improved push/turn tap and drain spout fitment for a multi-wall fiberboard container with a plastic retainer for retaining bulk flowable materials including a polygonal flange mounted within a similarly shaped opening in the fiberboard. A valve tube extendable through a spout assembly. The valve tube includes prongs for engaging a bung which is threadably connected to the spout assembly to seal an opening in the plastic retainer. The valve tube, though sealingly coupled to the spout assembly, can be moveably manipulated from the outside of the container to cause the bung to become disengaged from the spout assembly.
Voorhies, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,519 discloses a composite disposable one-way container comprising an outer container of rectangular shape having upright continuous side walls and a substantially flat top wall formed of corrugated paper material. A unitary blow molded plastic inner tank having thin side walls is positioned upright inside the outer container so that the outer container maintains the inner tank in its upright position when the tank is filled with a liquid to be transported. A pallet member has a flat top supporting surface on which the outer container and the inner tank are supported.
Heaps, Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,506 discloses a container for large quantities of fluent material having laminated walls made of multi-wall corrugated board. A flexible bag within the container has a first fitting that extends into an opening through a wall of the container near the bottom. A flap covers the opening and conceals the fitting being held in position by a severable strap. The container has bottom-forming flaps extending from the intermediate one of three layers forming the container to form a bottom for the container.
Derby et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,859 discloses an improved flexible semi-bulk container utilizing rigid panels associated with the side walls of the flexible container to provide rigidity and enable the container to stand alone when filled with fluidized material such as fluidized solids, semi-solids, slurries and liquids.
Russo, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,792, which is commonly owned with the present invention by way of assignment, and which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a container for bulk handling of fluid materials that includes a rigid outer shell structure within which is positioned a flexible bag means adapted to receive, transport and discharge fluids. An intermediate liner is positioned between the shell and the flexible bag for prevention of abrasion of the bag surface. The internal bag has a fitment or bung at the top for either filling or discharge and a threaded discharge fitment at the bottom of a side wall designed for insertion of a discharge valve through the side wall. The container is shipped without the valve installed, and in order to dispense the contents, a discharge valve is inserted by seating it into the threaded area of the fitment. While being seated, a sharp nail-like probe on the valve pierces the bag to establish a fluid flow passageway so that dispensing may take place. The collapsible inner bag is supported on a flat bottom surface of the intermediate liner.
Lapoint, Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,922 discloses a collapsible bag-like container that incorporates the features of a rigid, free-standing container, with the flexibility and collapsibility of a bulk bag. Stiffening members are placed into pockets, created by sewing together two sheets of woven polypropylene. The stiffening members may be removed and placed inside the bag for shipping, and then installed in the sewn pockets to create a collapsible container, suitable for containment, and shipment, of bulk materials of up to seventy (70) percent liquid composition. The container side walls have flaps that can be folded onto the top of the container, and tied together with flexible tie elements, such that the container has a desired transverse reinforcement.
Smernoff, U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,876 discloses a disposable bladder within in a box container having an interlocking spout wherein a locking flap in the outer container interlocks the spout and the outer container during dispensing of the contents.
Hogan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,029 discloses an improvement in a bin-type, bulk fluid container. The container comprises a rigid carton containing a plastic bag. The bag has an evacuation element on its side adjacent its bottom. The bag rests on a wedge shaped insert in the carton. The insert comprises a body molded in one piece from relatively dense, expanded plastic. The insert includes an upper panel supported by walls and partitions between the walls.
Whitworth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,429 discloses a corrugated fiberboard bulk shipping container for fluent materials having an outer box and an inner box inserted therein. The outer box is rectangular in cross section, and the inner box comprises two sleeves, each in the form of irregular octagons. During assembly of the container, flaps carried on the outermost of the two inner sleeves fold over the opening at one end of the inner sleeve and engage one another to fix the octagonal shape of the inner box. Extended corner portions on the flaps fit substantially into the outer box and stabilize the inner box within the outer box.
Mansouri, U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,812 discloses a reusable collapsible intermediate bulk shipping container adaptable to be used with a disposable inner fill bag, supplied in a corrugated cassette, upon a standard size pallet. The container has four interlocking wall frames with insertable wall panels forming inert interior wall surfaces, an engaging top member in addition to a halfwall member provides access for positioning a standard inner fill bag drain gland. The container is set up or collapsed and secured upon the pallet for return shipping or reuse.
Perkins, U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,549 discloses a bulk container that includes a flexible liner for holding fluent material, a plurality of substantially vertical rigid support walls spaced around the periphery of the liner, and a flexible skin interconnecting the walls and encircling the liner so as to laterally constrain and support the liner when fluent material is added. The container can include a bottom wall under the liner and connected to some of the support walls. A top platform can be removably secured over the liner so as to rest on top of the support walls. This provides the strength and rigidity to make the container system stackable. The support walls can be removably disposed in pockets or a sleeve in the flexible skin.
Nickell et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,260 discloses a consolidation container that includes a back wall, side walls, and a front wall each comprising pockets which receive stiffening panels. The front wall has an openable center portion which provides access to the interior of the container. Support members are positioned in the corners of the container to facilitate stacking. A top normally overlies the wall to close the container and is fully openable to provide access to the interior thereof.
Plunkett, U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,122 discloses a foldable shipping container that provides users access to a liner fill port in confined areas and that can be used to transport liquids, powders, or solids. One embodiment of the shipping container has a generally rectangular base pivotally connected a first side wall and a second side wall, a first lid section pivotally connected to the first side wall, a second lid section pivotally connected to the second side wall, and a third lid section pivotally connected to the first lid section. The third lid section provides access to a centrally located liner fill port.
Hougland, U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,495 discloses a multiple access container having a holding portion adapted to hold fluent material and a transfer assembly having a flexible conduit and multiple access ports.
Stone et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,508 discloses an octagon shaped stackable flexible intermediate bulk container having eight substantially identical side wall portions and eight stiffening panels. A bottom wall is connected to the bottom edges of the side wall portions and may be provided with a discharge port. Alternatively, a discharge port may be provided in one of the side wall portions. The bulk bag may be provided with a top wall which may be either openable or secured in place. A pallet and/or lift loops may be provided for transporting the bulk bag and the contents thereof. Belly bands extend around the periphery of the side wall comprising the side wall portions for reinforcing the side wall.
A multiple ply bag suitable for use in the present invention is a custom designed bag produced by CDF Corporation of Plymouth, Mass. similar to the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,064 assigned to the CDF Corporation, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. It should be noted that, as described herein, the bag of the present invention has features that are not disclosed in the referenced patent.
Dedmon, U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,908, commonly owned with the present application, discloses a palletized shipping container for bulk handling of fluid materials having a rigid box-like outer shell within which is positioned a flexible bag and an intermediate corrugated liner sandwiched between the walls of the bag and shell. The bag has flap-like extensions at an upper end attached to the walls of the shell to maintain the bag in an erect uncollapsed configuration, a non-removable bung at its top end, and a non-removable discharge valve adjacent its bottom end. The bung is releasably retained at the top of the liner to maintain the bung in a proper position and prevent sagging of the bag. An inwardly and downwardly angled cushioned surface at the bottom of the shell supports the liner and bag, provides additional cushioning, facilitates emptying of the bag, and reduction of residual material.